Never Again
by Sirenescence
Summary: A short fluffy/angsty one-shot about Luke and Rey. "The shock of seeing her all those months ago is still fresh in his mind. Her doe brown eyes wide and pleading, she held out his father's saber, her birthright. He couldn't bring himself to take it. Didn't the girl know that everything he touched he ruined? He would destroy her, he was poison. But she would not leave."


The Force Awakens killed me with all the Rey feels and I've been meaning to write something about her. This is a short one-shot I wrote on a whim for my friend who is a firm believer that Luke is Rey's father. Obviously this fic follows the Rey Skywalker theory.

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters used here._

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 _"Come back!"_

 _"Anakin...you're breaking my heart!"_

 _" You were the chosen one!"_

 _"I am a Jedi like my father before me..."_

 _"No...I am your father."_

 _"Luke Skywalker? I thought he was just a myth!"_

 _"I can see the island...yes I can see it..."_

 _"No come back! No no! NO!'"_

"NO!"

The guttural yell tore from Rey's throat as she shot up from her bedroll, her chest heaving and shoulders shaking with terrified sobs. Her loose wavy brown locks stick to the back of her sweaty neck, beads of sweat drip down her temples intermingling with the tears flowing from her wide eyes. The dream was so vivid, she could feel the dry heat of Jakku, the icy chill of Starkiller Base. Voices that are both familiar and completely unknown to her still ring in her ears as her sleep-dulled mind races in her panic.

A sudden presence at her left side startles the young woman into hastily retreating backwards, her back hits the hard stone wall sharply and she lets out a startled yelp. Momentarily dazed Rey begins to fully awaken, she looks up only to meet the eyes of her...Master. Luke Skywalker kneels by her recently abandoned bedroll, a strained look on his grizzled features, his robotic hand still outstretched from when he touched her shoulder. Rey hiccups as she pulls her knees to her still heaving chest, heart thudding rapidly from both the dream and Luke's sudden appearance.

The young woman begins to rock back and forth and she hums a sweet tune that she has long forgotten the words to. Rey is used to being alone, she has learned to survive on her own. The earlier years when she was first left on Jakku were the hardest. The little girl would wake just like this in a terrified panic, Rey would wail into her pillow, fingers clawing at a threadbare blanket, a crudely made doll crushed against her chest. Rey would remember smells, the rough musky smell of mint and oil and sometimes maybe just maybe blurry faces will accompany the scents. A strong jawline covered with a well-trimmed beard and soft eyes accompanies the smell of mint and oil, it washes over her in waves.

The young girl soon learned how to calm herself, she didn't need anyone. Not anymore. Especially not him.

All is silent in the small stone structure that has been Luke Skywalker's home for almost fourteen years now. Although Luke is not unfamiliar with the silence that follows him in his self-imposed exile, it is odd now seeing as he has had another living person with him for almost six months now.

Rey, his beautiful Rey. The shock of seeing her all those months ago is still fresh in his mind. Her doe brown eyes wide and pleading, she held out his father's saber, her birthright. He couldn't bring himself to take it. Just like he couldn't bring himself to leave. Luke cannot face his sister, his nephew. Knowing what he did, what he caused. The first month Luke had tried to rid himself of her but she was persistent, she not only wanted to be taught the ways of the Force she wanted to know _him_. Didn't the girl know that everything he touched he ruined? He would destroy her, he was poison. But she would not leave.

Eventually he gave up, Chewie and Artoo were long back with the Resistance, and Rey stayed behind to be with her new 'Master.' During the daylight hours he could forget, he could be aloof and cold to her. Unrelenting in his teachings, pushing her to her limits. But when night fell when weary and exhausted Rey would collapse onto her bedroll, curling up in a tight ball, her wavy locks framing her youthful face Luke couldn't hide from the truth. When he would wake up from dreams of flame and ash, screams and cries of pain. A young girl's voice pleading with him, he would run his flesh hand through Rey's hair ever so gently, to feel her warmth to be sure that she was really here with him.

Looking at her now, fear twisting her pretty features, her arms wrapped tightly around her abdomen in pseudo comfort, tears streaming down her cheeks, he cannot ignore her now.

Luke opens his arms in silent acceptance, his blue eyes soft and warm as he gazed at his daughter.

Rey hesitates ever so slightly, for the past six months she has tried so hard to please her 'Master' to show him that she was worth his time. In the face of her gleeful excitement at her new accomplishments he would only regard her coolly and offer a curt nod. When she would cheerfully ask him questions over their simple dinner he would ignore her, his face stoic and frozen like stone. When she had placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he meditated one afternoon to get his attention, he had brushed her hand off so roughly Rey had been so sure her touched burned him. Her...father's rejection of her was a slap in the face, it hurt her heart and she couldn't understand why he didn't want her. Was she really such a disappointment? Was she a fool to think that if she just waited on Jakku her family would come for her? That they wanted her? She is so angry with Luke Skywalker for everything he has done. Why now? Why acknowledge her now? She should turn her back on him, ignoring him the same way he has ever since the day she first arrived. But the lonely little girl inside of her just cannot be angry with him. She needs her father.

Rey slowly unwinds her arms from around her knees and she begins to crawl across the room toward her father. His piercing blue eyes never leave hers as she comes to a stop in front of him. The look in his eyes is unreadable as he lifts his flesh hand to touch the side of her face. Rey closes her eyes and she leans forward into his arms and curls into his chest, Luke wraps his arms around his daughter and he buries his face in her hair. Rey swears she feels tears on her scalp and she rubs her cheek against the rough material of his robes. Shaky breaths and hiccups rock her slim form as she burrows further into the embrace, the scent of mint and oil overtakes her senses.

"Please. Please don't leave me again."

Luke presses a kiss in her hair, his beard tickles her forehead.

"Never again. I promise."

Content and exhausted Rey rests her head on his shoulder and her eyes slip closed.

As Luke Skywalker holds his daughter for the first time in fourteen years, he finally begins to forgive himself.

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I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully I can write some more one-shots in the future, I'm especially wanting to write some platonic Reylo.


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